


Indigo Skies

by karovie, knifeboye



Series: Blue Wonders [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, everything is gay and happy, lance talks it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 00:47:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15401259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karovie/pseuds/karovie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/knifeboye/pseuds/knifeboye
Summary: It's Lance's first mission after his captivity.He's not nervous. Not at all.





	Indigo Skies

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry we posted so late. We ended up struggling with some parts at the end and our lives have been super busy as always… anyway! I have been replying to a few comments promising the reveal of the glitter culprit which is coming in a later installment to this series. We have decided to put in a few more one shots before that part comes up however. Just to inform you of why it's not come up yet :) either way. We hope you enjoy this one shot <3   
> -Karovie

There was still a whole night to go before they’d be heading off for their mission, so Lance had no idea why he was wasting precious hours of beauty sleep in favor of battling simulator after simulator in the training deck.

Well, he had an inkling of an idea.

It had started as a way to do something about his racing mind and restless hands. Then, the next thing Lance knew, the whole thing had progressed into a robotic routine. He’d upped six levels in the hours he’d been practicing, nearly reaching Keith’s high score. His trigger finger was sore- biceps tired from keeping his gun held upright, and he was barely able to keep himself on his feet at this point. His legs were aching and trembling. 

Nobody else seemed as nervous about this mission as Lance- not even Hunk. After the debriefing in which Allura laid out the plan, Coran set the castle on its course for the base they’d be infiltrating, and Shiro had ordered everyone to get some sleep. 

It was a straightforward mission, really- nothing the team hadn’t done, before. All they needed to do was gather some intel- it would be more about stealth and going unnoticed rather than charging in guns blazing. It was all incredibly low-risk.

Yet Lance couldn’t stop  _ thinking.  _ His mind was running a hundred miles a minute, flitting through every single thing that could go wrong- every scenario he could mess up. Every threat and possibility that could get himself or his team in danger.

So, rather than thinking, Lance trained.

He could see why Keith did it, now- the long nights of training in favor of talking through his troubles. Sometimes there were no words to describe it, even for Lance. This was better- it was something he could  _ do _ . Something he had control over.

Well. Sort of.

One of the drones shot at Lance, clipping him in the bicep- burning a hole through his shirt and scarring the skin there. Lance let out a shocked yelp of pain, faltering briefly before he gathered himself. He shot the drone down, and called out to end the simulation.

Lance lowered his gun and inspected the wound on his arm, rolling his sleeve above it. It wasn’t too bad- nothing that he couldn’t just bandage up and take care of later, but Lance knew it was a sign he needed to stop for the night.

When he left the training room, the lights were on in the castle halls- signaling the arrival of morning in their self-constructed time frame. Lance had been training all throughout the night. Any moment now they’d be getting ready for their mission.

How had he lost all that time? How had he not  _ noticed? _

Shaking off his shock, Lance quickly made his way to his shower for a quick rinse to hide the evidence of his night-long training session.

Though routine, this was a high-stakes mission. The intel was important- it would help them get one step closer to figuring out what exactly it was that Lotor was after.

One step closer to taking him down. 

Lance needed to bring on his A-game, and he couldn’t risk worrying his team. There was no way he’d let them notice his crumpling composure.

Keeping that in mind, Lance beelined it to his room, stepping into the bathroom and peeling off his sweaty clothes. He cranked on the faucet, and let the steam from the water fill up the bathroom as he tried to pull himself together. Taking a drawn out shaky breath, Lance inspected the wound on his shoulder, which he only now realized was emitting dull thuds of pain throughout his arm. The heat of the laser had closed the wound, masking it with a thick, rough scab. The skin around it was a bright red. Lance knew it would be one ugly scar.

Well, it was another to add to the collection. 

He looked at his reflection- the long, jagged mark that ran diagonally across his forehead and over his cheek. Not to mention the scars that littered over his body- an ever-present reminder of his captivity, and what he’d gone through.

What Lotor had done to him.

Lance didn’t realize he was grasping the sink until his hands went numb from the strain, and he released his aching hold and tried to stretch his fingers. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of his mind, Lance heard a chilling laugh.

He gave himself one more resigned glance before stepping into the water.

Just as Lance got out from the shower, feeling refreshed and a little bit more like himself, he heard a knock on his door. 

“Lance, breakfast time,” Hunk called to him in his usual chipper morning voice. He always did that, now- checked on Lance in the morning. That sweet, amazing, beautiful soul. 

“I’ll be there in a few ticks!” Lance called out. He listened to Hunk walk away, and felt his chest suddenly swell with emotion. He loved the yellow paladin so much. Hunk had the biggest of hearts and just wanted everyone to be able to enjoy a good meal every morning. He was always the first one up- preparing a breakfast they could all enjoy together, seeing as there was hardly any other time for the team to gather together in a non-life-threatening situation.

Lance smiled to himself as he towelled off his wet hair. He was fortunate to have Hunk as his friend. He made his day a little lighter when nothing else could.

Grasping onto this wave of good feelings, Lance reached for his clothes before he stopped.

The laser had burnt a hole in his shirt. His jacket, which Lance had luckily discarded in his room, was fine. He’d have to mend his shirt to avoid any suspicion. Lance wondered if Coran had any sewing needles hidden somewhere in the castle….

His mind on the amusing thought of Coran doing something as human as sewing, Lance pulled on his clothes and made his way out the door.

Only to be greeted by Keith, whose hand was raised as if to knock on Lance’s door. His eyes were wide, and he quickly dropped his hand, looking taken aback. Lance blinked before recovering.

“Morning,” he greeted, suddenly feeling shy and all too aware of himself. He flattened a hand along his damp hair, which he knew would be curling slightly. He suddenly wished he’d taken a few extra seconds in front of the mirror.

Keith, of course, seemed to read Lance’s mind. He looked him over in a concerned manner before masking his expression and meeting Lance’s eyes.

“Morning… sleep well?” he asked, a sort of challenge in his voice and stare.

Lance laughed, an awkward hiccup of a noise, and started walking towards the dining room, Keith at his elbow.

“For sure. I slept lots. How about you?”

Lance couldn’t see Keith’s face, but he could hear his plaintive sigh.

“Lance… I heard you go into your room this morning.”

Busted. Lance stalled in his step before continuing walking as he tried to recover- tried to think of an excuse before realizing he really  _ didn’t _ want to lie to Keith.

“Oh,” he chose to say, instead. He chanced a glance at Keith, who immediately took the opportunity to frown at him.

“Did you sleep at all last night?” Keith asked, and his tone was soft. Lance stopped in his tracks, and Keith moved to stand in front of him.

Lance wished this conversation would end. He had so many conflicting impulses. He wanted to run, to stay, to be comforted… he wanted to tell Keith everything while at the same time keep it all away from him.

“I know my limits,” he finally chose to say.

“I don’t think you do,” Keith retaliated, and before Lance could get a word in, he continued, “Lance… there’s so much more about… there’s so much you didn’t tell us, yet. Things you’ve been dealing with on your own. You don’t have to do that. You can  _ talk _ to us.”

Keith hesitated for a moment before brushing his fingers against Lance’s wrist, along his thumb. It was second nature for Lance to twine his fingers with Keith’s- felt so natural, even though they’d only done this once before. With that touch, it felt like all of the tension had left Lance’s muscles. He felt normal, just for a moment.

When Lance looked back at Keith, his deep eyes were intense. “You can talk to  _ me,”  _ he added.

Lance felt his walls crumbling- the ones he’d built up so strongly when he’d been captured. He could feel every emotion, raw and gutting, seeping through the cracks.

He opened his mouth to speak- to say  _ something. _

Lance and Keith always had the worst timing.

_ “Paladins! It seems breakfast will have to wait,”  _ Coran’s voice rang through the intercom.  _ “There’s been a change of plans- suit up and meet in the control room!” _

Lance and Keith only gave one another a knowing glance before rushing off to their rooms to suit up, running side by side.

When they reached their doors, Keith grabbed Lance’s wrist.

“Lance,” he began, then hesitated. He looked conflicted- angry with himself. Lance drew closer, trying to read Keith's expression before he was suddenly pulled in by the hand on his wrist.

The hug was tight and short, and yet it filled Lance with a light, fluttering sensation. He had only begun to relax into it when Keith pulled away, meeting Lance’s eyes. He suddenly looked shy, dodging his gaze before stepping back.

“See you,” he murmured before rushing into his own room, the doors closing behind him.

Lance exhaled the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A smile had made its way to his lips, and Lance wasn’t very sure when it had gotten there. 

He went into his room to suit up for their mission.

* * *

Lance stared at the alien shackled to the table.  When had the team arrived at the base? When had they gotten into their lions? Had they even gone in their lions? He couldn’t feel Blue- couldn’t touch their mental link. His thoughts were a static mist- nothing concrete for him to latch onto.

His hands shook as they held his gun at the ready. He couldn’t move, as if his feet were glued to the floor. He couldn’t see anything else but the wounded alien on the table. The wide flickering violet eyes, the rapid breathing, the bruises, the cuts, the tears… he couldn’t help but see himself in his place. Scared. Hurting. Fighting. 

A hostage. Allura and Coran had informed them of a hostage.

Interrupting his moment of clarity, Lotor’s sickly sweet laughter crashed into Lance, drowning his senses.

The violating agony as Lotor pressed against and into Lance’s mind. How Lance still felt his presence, despite knowing he wasn’t there. He wasn’t there, he wasn’t there, he  _ wasn’t-- _

Lance shuddered, his breath caught in his throat. It all came rushing towards him, overbearing and  _ loud. _

The nightmares, the pain. How Lance couldn’t even close his eyes without seeing the purple of the interrogation room. How any sudden touch from anyone made him want to crawl out of his skin. How he tended to feel safer in corners where no-one could ambush him, only to feel dread at the thought of being cornered in. Of being surrounded by enemies and forced to fight for his life. 

All these horrible feelings came flooding back to him all at once, drowning everything else. Lance no longer knew where he was. He was alone.

_ He didn’t want to go back. _

He didn’t want Lotor to get in his mind, again- didn’t know if he’d be strong enough to fight him, this time around. Didn’t know if he could protect the secrets that would put his friends’ lives in jeopardy.

He needed to protect his friends. 

“Lance?”

Keith’s voice jolted Lance from his thoughts. It sounded muted, as if muffled by a dark, cold body of water. Lance tried to focus, tried to follow it back to where he was meant to be.

A hand touched his arm, instantly grounding him, and dark eyes came into focus. The red of a helmet, the furrow of a concerned brow.

“Lance, are you okay?”

The mission. They were on a Galra ship gathering intel. They were meant to rescue a hostage- that was the sudden news. It was the prince of a planet that was a part of Voltron’s alliance. Allura had told Lance he could join their group in retrieving the hostage- had looked confident with her choice, confident in  _ Lance. _

He was screwing up their mission.

Lance couldn't remember how he’d gotten here. He didn’t even remember starting the mission.

The panic in him rose as he tried to make sense of the scene unfolding around him. There were too many bodies moving too fast. His breathing was incredibly loud even to his own ears. His head felt so light… why was everything so  _ blurry? _

Before Lance could reply to Keith, a light zoomed past them. It hit the wall beside Lance’s head and made him jump horribly.

It was like a trigger of his instincts, and Lance automatically fired in the direction the blast had come from. Someone was shooting at him. He needed to fight. 

_ He didn’t want to go back. _

Lance went into a frenzy, shooting down every moving thing. Someone was yelling but he couldn’t figure out who it was. Was it him? Was it the enemy? He needed to protect. To survive. To  _ fight. _

Why was his heart beating so loudly? Why were his limbs seized up- out of his control?

A purple light zoomed past him and Lance followed it with his heart beating in his throat. He couldn’t let it get past him. He couldn’t let it get to the others. He had to take it down. He spun around, looking for the purple light. Where did it go? The colors of the room blurred together as he looked around.

Suddenly his gun was forced from his hands by a great strength. He gasped what little air he could get down his narrow throat into his lungs. This was it. He was done for. A black and white shape came into view and he just knew it was the end for him. Even so, he fought. He fought with everything he had. He didn’t want to go back. He didn’t want to die. He wouldn’t be able to take being caught, again. 

_ He’d rather die.  _

His arms were locked to his sides. He couldn’t move them. No.  _ No! _ He couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t! 

_ “LANCE!”  _

Lance froze completely in place at the sound of his name being yelled. It sounded so broken. Had he done something to hurt his friends? Had he disappointed them? Had he messed up?

“Lance, it’s okay. You did good, buddy. You got them. You got them all. No one can hurt you, now.”

Shiro…? Was that Shiro? Why did he sound so worried? Was he hurt? 

“No Lance, I’m okay. You’re okay. Breathe. Listen to my breathing,” Shiro’s voice was calm despite the emotion bleeding through. He breathed loudly in Lance’s ear through his helmet. When had he gotten that close? Why was he hugging Lance?

Lance followed Shiro’s advice. He was their leader. He knew what to do, right? 

_ Yes. Yes, do what Shiro tells you.  _

His body felt heavy when he finally realized where he was. Shiro was hugging him close, both in comfort and in restraint, to keep his arms from flailing. His bayard was discarded on the floor, likely thrown there after being forced from his hands. He looked around the room seeing all the scorch marks from his gun. Keith was white as a sheet where he stood, guarding the hostage with his shield. Allura was hiding behind her shield as well. They were staring at him. Their eyes were wide.

The bodies on the floor all had the singed wounds from his gun. It looked like Keith never had a chance to even bring out his bayard, nor Allura her staff. 

Shiro let go of his arms to put his hands on either side of Lance’s helmet. He looked into Lance’s eyes. Then he smiled. It looked pained, but it was still a smile. Lance relaxed.

“You did so good. You’re going to be okay. You just need some time, okay?” he patted his shoulder and the smile turned less pained and more proud. 

Tears pressed at the back of Lance’s eyes as the exhaustion from his panic set in completely. His legs were like jelly, and he didn’t know how much longer he could stay standing. 

Shiro brought him in for a hug again, but this time it was more of a genuine comforting hug. 

“It’s okay. You’re okay,” Shiro whispered as he held Lance up. “Even in a frenzy you’re still an expert marksman. Just a bit… unhinged,” Shiro added with a small laugh.

Lance laughed a little at the comment. His legs were too shaky to keep him upright. Shiro must have realized he was holding Lance’s entire weight, as he gently helped him to sit down against one of the walls. 

Keith and Allura finally moved from their frozen state, checking up on the hostage to make sure he was alright. The poor guy had fainted during the chaos, but was still alive. 

Allura called upon Coran to ready the healing pod for them, before checking up on Pidge and Hunk. 

“It seems we’re cleared to leave,” she called back over to where Shiro was sitting beside Lance. 

“Do you think you’ll be able to walk back?” Shiro asked as he handed Lance the abandoned bayard. 

Lance looked down at his legs, biting the inside of his cheeks.

“I don’t know,” he whispered. 

The black paladin rose to his feet and reached out a hand for Lance to take. He helped the younger man to his feet, practically doing all the work for him as Lance barely had any strength left. 

Lance tried to walk on his own, but it was clear he wouldn’t get far without help. 

Allura carried the unconscious hostage, while Keith took the lead to make sure there were no Galra left to jump out on them. Shiro and Lance took up the rear as Shiro supported Lance through the halls. 

Lance struggled to stay focused enough to move his legs. He just wanted some water and a bed. He felt the world slowly fade around him, and at some point he thought he heard someone say, “Just let him sleep.” 

Oh, he could happily do that.    
  


* * *

It turned out that pulling an all-nighter before a mission and experiencing a heavy panic attack were the two primary ingredients for a complete-shutdown-cocktail. Lance’s entire body felt weak and heavy when he woke up- as if his limbs were made of cement. He looked at the ceiling and felt like sinking into the mattress and disappearing into its plushy confines. Or just pretending he never woke up in the first place.

Shiro caught him, though. Their leader seemed to have taken it upon himself to stay by Lance’s side and make sure he wasn’t in full out panic mode again when he woke up. Some part of Lance was glad the black paladin was there as opposed to one of the others. 

Or Keith. Lance wasn’t sure what he’d done if it had been him. He shook the thought from his head.

“Is this how you feel every day?” Lance asked quietly as he sat up and took the water pouch Shiro offered. 

Shiro looked at him for a moment before sighing.

“Sometimes,” his gaze shifted downwards. “Among other things.” 

“How do you deal with it?”  Lance took a sip from the water, and looked at Shiro for an answer. He gave Lance a sad smile.

“There’s no blueprint on how to deal with this sort of stuff. It’s different for everyone. What works for me might not work for you,” Shiro looked remorseful as he said this, as if he wished he could just hand Lance a recipe on how to deal. He sighed before he continued.

“To be completely honest with you, I don’t think my methods of coping are very healthy ones. I mostly just… suppress everything. Which just makes every attack worse when it does comes along,” Shiro looked up at Lance, “and they  _ will  _ come along. Avoiding it is just harmful to you in the long run. The thing is... you never know when to expect them. Sometimes I can feel one just build and build until it’s ready to burst. Sometimes there’s no warning at all. It’ll make you feel terrible- carrying that around,” Shiro closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face and sighed before he continued.

“As for ways to cope… I’ve tried some breathing exercises, some mental ones… and sometimes I just train, which can tend to go overboard,” he gave Lance a pointed look at that. “Honestly… it’s probably not what you wanna hear, but that’s all I have. Of course, I have all of you to help ground me. That and our ever-present space war, which surprisingly works pretty well as a distraction,” Shiro shut his mouth and looked sheepishly at Lance. “I guess what I’m trying to say… in all that rambling… is that you will find your own best way of coping. But just know that you don’t have to do it alone.”

Shiro stopped talking, looking self-conscious at how much he revealed. Lance reached out a hand to place it on his shoulder, and hoped the weak squeeze he gave him was at least a little bit reassuring.

“Hey, I’m glad you actually got to talk about this. I don’t mind the rambling,” Lance commented with a big smile before taking his hand back. He had never seen their leader like this, before… it made him seem surprisingly human. Approachable. 

“I was supposed to be helping you, not the other way around,” Shiro groaned but couldn’t hold back the smile after all. “Thank you, Lance,” he added and patted Lance on the shoulder, meeting his eyes in a serious gaze. “Now it’s your turn to talk.” 

Lance crumpled into himself and flopped down to hide his face against his knees as he let out a complaining noise. Silence took over the entire room. Shiro waited patiently, sitting completely still so as to not discourage Lance. 

“When we found the hostage… it reminded me of my own captivity,” Lance blew out a deep breath of air as he sat back up. “Not to mention I was nervous about the mission and ended up training the entire night before without realizing. I was racked up with nerves and exhaustion and when we saw the hostage… it was all just too much. I thought they were going to take me back. I was terrified of it. I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t want to let them get to you guys… I felt so alone and so scared…” he trailed off. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he rubbed at them harshly with his hand, turning his face away as he felt it heat up with shame. “I could have hurt you all,” he added in a broken whisper.

It was silent for a while, and Lance tried to avoid the voice in his head chastising him for crying in front of his hero. He avoided Shiro’s eyes, afraid of what he’d see in them.

“Lance,” Shiro spoke softly. “You didn’t hurt us. You were remarkably accurate in your shots. Even among all the chaos you managed to pick out the enemy and protect us all from them. There were a few misfires… but overall, you were amazing. I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve had to maneuver like that while being fired at,” Shiro chuckled a little, and Lance let himself smile weakly. “Honestly, you did good. Of course you need to work to prevent the blind firing from happening again, but considering it’s been such a short time since your captivity… you’ve come really far.”

Lance searched Shiro’s eyes for any lies, but he knew their leader’s words could be trusted. 

“You really think I did good?” Lance bit his bottom lip as he struggled to calm the quiver he felt tremble it. Shiro smiled warmly.

“Yes. You single handedly took down the entire enemy line in that room,” Shiro patted his shoulder. “You saved our lives. We’re all really proud of you.”

Lance smiled as he looked down at his sheets, face warming with the praise. “Thanks Shiro.”

Shiro smiled warmly. “Of course. Now how about we go join the others for some food? I think Hunk mentioned working on something special for you.” He stood and waited for Lance to follow.

“Sounds good,” Lance agreed and felt a nice fluttering feeling in his chest. He accepted the hand Shiro lent him, and once he found his footing they made their way out the door.

Only to be met with Keith, who jumped from his position leaning against the wall by Lance’s room. He looked surprised to see Lance, and the blue paladin had to struggle to contain his laughter at Keith’s uncharacteristically shocked face.

“Lance,” Keith breathed, seeming relieved. He looked Lance over, as if checking him for any injuries. Then he made a movement to step forward before he stopped, glancing at Shiro. The two brothers seemed to exchange a full conversation through that glance alone.

“I’ll let you two talk,” Shiro dismissed himself, patting Lance on the back. He looked at Keith. “Make sure you both join us in the dining hall after you’re done talking.”

“Will do,” Keith promised, and Shiro cupped his shoulder before walking off.

It was silent for a long while as the two paladins just stared at one another.

“How are you feeling?” Keith finally spoke.

Lance offered a smile. “I’m getting there. I feel a lot better.”

Keith was silent, his eyes flickering over Lance’s face. He opened his mouth to say something before he stopped, seeming frustrated with himself. When he couldn’t form the words, Lance spoke for him.

“You were going to tell me something. Before the mission,” he tried to help.

Keith looked taken aback for a moment before he gathered himself. He nodded. “Yeah… I was.”

When he didn’t continue, Lance gave him a teasing look. “So…?”

At that, Keith grabbed onto Lance’s sleeve. He tugged it gently, eyes straying to Lance’s bicep.

It was then that Lance realized his shirt was still scorched, and his wound peeked through the hole in his sleeve. 

“How did that happen?” Keith murmured, eyes finding Lance’s.

Lance blushed, a hand going to his neck. He offered a laugh.

“Y’know, I gotta give you some credit. Those simulators can really pack a punch.”

Keith frowned, looking ready to respond to that before he stopped. His fingers went down to Lance’s wrist, and he pulled softly- asking permission. When Lance’s muscles loosened in his grasp, Keith spoke.

“Come with me.”

Lance did. He let Keith lead them out the hall. And when Keith’s fingers fell from Lance’s wrist to graze his hand, and they both twined their fingers together before locking their hands in a soft embrace, neither of them said a word.

* * *

“This really isn’t necessary,” Lance protested. Keith, of course, ignored him.

“Hold still,” he spoke from Lance’s arm, working on bandaging the laser wound. His pale fingers were gentle and soft, opposing everything about the red paladin’s brash and rough self. After applying an antiseptic, he wrapped Lance’s arm with care from where they were sat on a bed in the medical bay. He was silent throughout the whole process, fixated on the task before him.

Lance watched him work in an intrigued manner. He couldn’t help breaking the amicable silence to speak, again.

“You’re really good at that,” he commented, catching Keith unaware. Wide, dark eyes looked up at Lance before dodging back down. Lance could’ve sworn Keith’s ears went pink.

“I lived alone for a year in the desert. Hospitals weren’t really an option.”

Lance thought about that. Something twinged in his heart, and he felt the urge to wrap Keith in a hug.

“Did you get hurt a lot?”

Keith avoided Lance’s stare as he finished. He answered with a clipped, “Just sometimes.” When he taped the bandage closed, he nodded. “There. Done.”

Lance looked at his arm, and gave a small smile as Keith rolled his sleeve back down over it. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

It was silent, and Lance could feel the weight of everything that needed to be said hanging between them. 

It was suffocating.

Before he could suggest they go sit with their friends, Keith spoke up.

“I’m sorry.”

Lance’s eyes widened. That was the last thing he expected him to say.

“What?”

Keith looked guilty, head hanging low and his eyes looking off to the side. His hands were clenched on his lap from where he sat facing Lance. 

“After everything that happened… we talked, but then we didn’t. I feel like… we’ve kinda been distant. I noticed and I didn’t do anything about it, and that was… that sucked. I’m sorry.”

Lance blinked, his heart feeling heavy in his chest. His next words came out as a croak.

“We’ve both been busy…. There’s always so much going on.”

“That’s not a good enough excuse,” Keith protested. “I should’ve been there for you. I  _ wanted  _ to be there for you. I just… I don’t know how.”

“Keith. I don’t blame you. Not at all. This whole situation… all of it, it’s just crazy.”

Keith shook his head. He met Lance’s gaze now, and there was something determined in his eyes that terrified Lance. Yet it sent a thrill through him, and he found himself enraptured.

“I want to always be there for you,” Keith insisted. “I want… I want to be the one you come to. I want you to feel that you can trust me. After everything you’ve been through… you shouldn’t do this alone. I don’t want you to  _ be _ alone, because… I care about you. A lot.”

Keith was about as red as his armor, and Lance was sure he was as well. His heart had launched itself into his throat, and he wasn’t sure he could ever get it to land back into his chest where it belonged. He swallowed hard, processing everything Keith had said. Then he swallowed again for good measure, licking his lips before he spoke.

“I care about you, too,” he replied, voice soft. He smiled before adding, “A lot.”

Keith looked up at him at that, eyes wide before they softened and a smile lifted his own lips. He stared at Lance for a long time, and Lance stared back, trapped in the moment. When he finally managed to speak, he felt as though his voice was as light as air.

“Where does that leave us?” he asked, terrified of the answer. Yet he wanted it said aloud- needed to hear the words.

Keith gazed at Lance, eyes flicking down before going back up. “I’m not sure,” he replied. He blushed slightly, looking off to the side. “I’ve never… done anything like this before.”

“Me neither,” Lance replied. Keith looked relieved at that, and Lance offered him a smile. “But… I’m not scared. Not if it’s with you. I know we can work it out.”

They stared at one another again, Keith gazing at Lance in what looked like wonder. He smiled, but it fell so quickly Lance was sure it had been a trick of the light. 

Suddenly, a warm hand laid on top of Lance’s. Keith spoke up.

“Hey… do you trust me?”

“Yes,” Lance spoke right away, surprised for a moment by his own lack of hesitation. “Of course,” he added as an afterthought.

Keith smiled, eyes warm, and he nodded for a moment at Lance’s affirmation. Then he looked nervous… hesitant.

The hand on his own tightened, and Keith leaned forward slowly, gaze locked onto Lance’s to search for any trace of fear- to give him time to pull away.

When Lance didn’t, Keith moved fast.

The lips on Lance’s cheek were light- merely a flutter- but they felt like fire, and Lance’s breath stopped in his throat at the contact. When Keith pulled away, he opened his eyes and searched Lance’s own, looking afraid.

Lance’s hand flew to his cheek, and he felt his whole face flood with warmth. He blinked for a moment before smiling and falling forward into Keith’s chest, wrapping his arms around him as he let out a choked laugh. 

Strong, warm arms wrapped back around him as Keith’s own chuckle rumbled in his chest, and Lance hugged him tighter, wanting to melt into the red paladin- to stay by him forever, where he knew he’d be safe.

A hand ran through Lance’s hair, and lips kissed the top of his head, now. 

Lance  _ melted. _

Keith rested his cheek on the top of Lance’s head, and Lance could feel him take in a slow breath- no doubt smelling Lance’s hair. 

He’d have to tease Keith about that, later. But, for now, he only squeezed him lovingly, eyes falling closed in peace.

After a few minutes like this, Keith’s fingers grazing through Lance’s hair as Lance listened to the sound of his heartbeat, the red paladin finally spoke.

“The others are gonna wonder where we are,” he pointed out, his voice sounding forlorn.

Lance gave a nod. “Yeah. We should probably go join them.” Keith gave a hum of acknowledgement, and Lance finally let go of him, pulling away and meeting his eyes. Keith was smiling, his eyes so soft and gooey it sent a burst of butterflies fluttering about in Lance’s belly.

“Ready to go?” Keith asked, and Lance hesitated, still caught in a trance by the boy before him.

He had to catch his breath before he spoke. He reached out a hand, and Keith took it instinctively. Lance squeezed his hand and smiled.

“Together?”

A squeeze back, and a fond smile.

“Together.”


End file.
